Acheron

Dark-Hunter Series - Book 25

By Sherrilyn Kenyon

St. Martin's Press - August 2008

Paranormal

Disclaimer - Fiction - Not Romance - per the Publisher

I had initially heard that Acheron's story would be told in two books. The first would tell of his past. The second would be his romance. Instead, the entire saga unfolds in one hefty volume. The following review assumes that the reader has read the previous books in this series.

Part 1

The Diary of Ryssa, Princess of Didymos

It was definitely best that we see the first several years of Acheron's life through the eyes of a sister who loved him. Ryssa was his elder sister, and through her diary, we learn of the atrocities Acheron bore. The hatred, pain and humiliation which Acheron endured. The second hand account of reading only what Ryssa witnessed and learned tempered what could have been much darker.

Acheron

The second half of Part 1 moved to third person. We finally see from Acheron's POV. Acheron's thoughts, feelings, hopes and fears carry the story. After two dozen stories of the Dark-Hunters, we finally learn the truth of exactly who and what he is, and what he could be. We witness events that had been mentioned in previous stories as they occur.

In Part 1, Sherrilyn Kenyon made true on her promise to tell the unadulterated truth of Acheron. Although horrific, I did not find the storytelling to be overwhelming in graphic detail. We learn the facts, and yes, they are horrible, but perhaps it is the knowledge that we already know that Acheron overcomes all of this that makes it easier to read.

Part 2

Acheron: Present Day

It was Dr. Soteria Kafieri's greatest desire to prove her family's belief in Atlantis true. Unlike her cousin, she had no intention of allowing anything, or anyone, to stop her. And it doesn't matter if that person who wants to stop her is a towering Goth dressing jerk. She had the evidence needed to redeem her family's honor.

Acheron typically would not treat someone with the disrespect he'd shown Tory. Unfortunately, she had uncovered secrets that needed to remain buried. Not only for himself, but for the sake of all humanity.

Acheron. The first, and leader of, the Dark-Hunters. The one who can change fate. The man who condemned his best friend with one thoughtlessly uttered sentence. It was somewhat hard to reconcile my previous notions of who Acheron was with the Acheron we finally learn he is. Although we were given a basic understanding of Ash, I was still surprised. I did not anticipate the depth of his vulnerability. Sherrilyn Kenyon has expertly wrapped up the first arc in her Dark Hunter world, and we have been given a glimpse into what will be happening next. I look forward to seeing what the next step will bring.